Tag Archives: student film

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The Bootleg Files: Batman Meets Mr. Fizz

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BOOTLEG FILES 947: “Batman Meets Mr. Fizz” (1965 student film directed by Richard Blackburn).

LAST SEEN: On YouTube.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: Unauthorized use of the DC Comics characters.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Not likely, at least for now.

Hey, you never know what you can find on YouTube. An hour before I sat down to write this, I was not expecting to stumble over “Batman Meets Mr. Fizz,” a 1965 student film short that went online earlier this week courtesy of the UCLA Film & Television Archive. This short romp would probably not be given new attention had it not borrowed (without permission) the DC Comics characters of Batman and Robin for its no-budget shenanigans. And it would also not be recalled had its creator not progressed to being the force behind two of the most beloved cult movies of all time.
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The Bootleg Files: Waiting for Godot

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BOOTLEG FILES 924: “Waiting for Godot” (2024 version of the Beckett classic).

LAST SEEN: On YouTube.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: Not cleared for home entertainment release.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Doesn’t seem likely at the moment.

At the moment, one of the hottest tickets on Broadway is the revival of Samuel Beckett’s “Waiting for Godot” starring Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter. But if you can’t make it to Broadway or don’t have the money to afford tickets, fear not because an inventive, enchanting, and under-the-radar version of the Beckett classic can be seen for free on YouTube.
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The Bootleg Files: Hot Dogs for Gauguin

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BOOTLEG FILES 864: “Hot Dogs for Gauguin” (1972 student film short by Martin Brest starring Danny DeVito).

LAST SEEN: On the OK.ru website.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: An obscure film that fell through the cinematic cracks.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Not likely.

At the risk of being cruel, it needs to be acknowledged that the overwhelming majority of student films represent a victory of enthusiasm over talent. But that’s not to say the genre lacks gems – Denis Sanders’ “A Time Out of War” (1954) won the Academy Award, while George Lucas’ career has its roots in his 1967 “Electronic Labyrinth: THX 1138 4EB.” Martin Brest is also credited with hatching one of the best student films of all time, the 1972 “Hot Dogs for Gauguin,” which he made while at New York University – that film wound up on the National Film Registry, one of the very few student films to earn such an honor.
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